Today we continue with our Blog Beat series, wherein we profile bloggers around the World Wide Web. I’m very excited about our special guest today: Ann McGuire of the Color Buzz blog. Actually, Ann founded her company, Beehive Studios, in 1994 and she has since been joined by three other artisans, Michele Coppin, Megan Leblond and Veronique Habermann. Together they have worked with some of the best interior designers, traveled the world and had their work appear in Architectural Digest, Vogue, House Beautiful and Elle Decor, among others. On top of these amazing and deserved accomplishments, Beehive Studios is also color consultant for Valspar and its through their sponsorship that I found their blog, Color Buzz. I thoroughly enjoy Color Buzz since all four designers give amazing color guidance, beautifully researched design subjects plus a unique take on the decorative painting world. Another great feature is their expert color advice available to anyone with a design dilemma via their Ask the Experts. What’s not to love? Ann was gracious enough to answer a few questions for us — so sit back with a nice cup of coffee and let’s visit for a bit…
Q: Tell us a little about you and your blog.
A: Color is a huge part of our work. Sometimes the right color just falls into place; other times it takes hours of study and focus to get them right. But in the end, they have to harmonize. Color is important to so many aspects of life and it makes a huge difference when you get it right. Color Buzz explores various color palettes, color inspiration and painting techniques, and anything else we might be interested in when it comes to home décor and color! Personally, I have two amazing children and a great husband. We live in an old farmhouse in northeast Pennsylvania. I’ve painted since I was very young. I love what I do and having the opportunity to share this with others is absolutely wonderful.
Q: Who are some of your inspirations?
A: We work with some amazing designers like Victoria Hagan and William Sofield. They each bring both elegance and depth to all they do. I also really admire the work of Marietta Gomez because of the way she finds beauty in pairing things together, and also Rose Tarlow who reveals the essential beauty of a space by letting it be. I also really love the work of Dorothy Draper who’s daring imagination brought us iconoclastic designs from the thrilling dining room at the Metropolitan Museum to the sets of Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire movies.
Q: What sound would you miss if suddenly unable to hear it?
A: My children’s laughter.
Q: What photo or picture really moves you?
A: Vermeer’s painting “Girl with a Pearl Earring”. It’s beautiful, elegant and a great use of color. I could paint a whole house in the colors from that painting.
Q: If you were paid to write a new book on any subject you wished, what would it be about?
A: The history of carpet design.
Q: Are you quick or slow at making a witty reply?
A: Give me a few minutes to think about that….
Q: How do you go about creating a new post? What jumpstarts your inspiration?
A: In creating a new post, we usually work as a team. Four painters from Beehive Studios contribute to the blog, so we work together to add a mix of varying topics that are of interest to the group. We think about what is happening in current events, pop culture and in our daily lives. Other times, a single color can jumpstart a post. One of the designers, Michele, was inspired by the green of a John Deere tractor and followed through with a blog entry on that specific green. We look at everything that relates to color and design inspiration.
Q: What advice would you offer our blog readers with regard to creating and/or writing a blog?
A: Find something you are greatly passionate about, something you want to share with others. What is it that you love that connects you to others and that you can also build upon? The most important thing is to find something you can really sink your teeth into then stick with it.
I’m so happy when I find a fellow artisan who follows designers and their works like I do. I also have a healthy appreciation for Dorothy Draper and Marietta Gomez — even if their styles are different from one another. This was a fun interview put together — I hope I was able to capture Ann’s wonderful personality! (And Ann? I would totally read a book about the history of carpet design. Yes, please!) You can also follow them on Twitter via @Color_Buzz. Please do take the time to check out the Color Buzz blog and remember that if you do need a bit of design or color advice, they have the Ask the Experts function to help you out. I think everyone can benefit from that! I know I learn something new everytime. Enjoy the day!
Thanks so much Regina for the opportunity to share some of what we do with your readers. You have an amazing blog and great work. I’m looking forward to checking out what you’ll be doing next. I’ll keep you updated on the carpet book. All the best! Ann
Regina, This was an awesome interview. They are so cute! Love your blog and am checking out theirs! Keep up the great work! Thanks!
God Bless You!
C
Yet another engaging completely useful blog post. You hit the target every time.
Ann, Carla & Dana — a pleasure to read your comments as I enjoy all your blogs as well. :)
[...] profiled Ann McGuire before on our Blog Beat series, in case you’d like to read more about her artistry and the Color Buzz blog. The Parisian [...]
Thanks again for an entertaining and informative article. I’m on that list for the carpet history book as well.